Wood Market Trends in Europe - BC Coastal Initiative

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Photo credit: Balz, Langnau i.E./LIGNUM
Figure 17
Wood species used in ThermoWood®
thermal modifi cation process, 2006
Source: Finnish ThermoWood Association
Modifi ed wood and wood-plastic
composites are substituting for
traditional wood products
Technologies for wood modifi cation and wood-plastic production have been
known for a long time, but market interest grew only when consumers became
concerned about wood preservatives and illegal logging of tropical
wood species. Additionally, reduced availability of many tropical species
and higher tropical timber prices have made wood modifi cation techniques
fi nancially viable.
Wood is modifi ed either through heat treatment (thermal modifi cation) or
chemical treatment such as acetylation. All modifi cation techniques change
important wood properties, such as moisture absorption, dimensional stability,
biological durability, hardness and colour, and they aim at improving typical
disadvantages of wood.
The volume of chemically modifi ed wood products on the market is very
small, while thermally modifi ed wood products and wood-plastic composites
are now widely available. The goal of this section is to describe these products,
their markets and applications in Europe, and resulting opportunities
for Canadian manufacturers.
Thermally modifi ed wood
Dallin Brooks
Antje Wahl
Markets for thermally modifi ed wood, sometimes referred to as heat-treated
wood, have developed considerably over the last decade. Compared to other
wood modifi cation methods in the market place, thermal modifi cation is the
most successful. In this process wood is heated in a stainless steel kiln to
Pine
44%
Other
7%
Alder